For the first time in two years I am
sun burned. For the first time in a year and a half I boarded a plan... and I
did it three times. For the first time in my life as well I was hugged by a
General Authority.
We had a great leadership training
this past week, and then we had Elder Jensen come and speak to us as a mission.
It was really good. I enjoyed it. He had each of us go up and shake his hand.
But, before doing so he told all of us, "I would like to have a short
interview with all of you and so if you could come up here and shake my hand
that would be great." I think all of the missionaries began repenting of
all they had done! ha ha I was the last one up there, along with Elder Simmons. Elder Jenson’s his wife saw my name tag and
said, "Jay I think we have a winner." Then he asked me if I knew Sue. I told him she was my neighbor. So he pulled out of his suit pocket a note from
her, and then he gave me a hug. I think all of the missionaries thought I had
failed the test, and that he had found something in my soul! But no it was really
good, and very sweet of him to do that as well as Sue. Would you pass on my thanks
to her :)
Well after Elder Simmons and I went
out to the Channel Islands by request of President because he wanted us to go and see some of the members
out there. Especially, he wanted us to
check up on the missionaries and a branch. I think he is thinking on putting a
senior couple out there, but I am not sure. So we flew out Saturday evening to Guernsey.
It was really weird because I didn’t think I would get on another plane until I
went home. As we left I looked at Simmons and said we are leaving English soil!
It was weird. Anyway so we landed. Guernsey
is a crazy beautiful place! It is a small island about 5 miles across. The fastest
speed limit you can go is 35 mph. The roads are tiny and the whole island is
like one village. The airport is a small runway, and that’s it. The branch
there has only 10 active members, and 4 of them are from one family. So at the
branch they had me and Elder Simmons to speak, and I was humbled. There was a
boy of 16 years, and neither of his parents are members. I was humbled to see
such a young man and I wonder if I would have had the strength to do that.
There was small little 4 year old Joseph who pleaded with the missionaries
there to find him a Primary, as he is the only member of his Primary. Since
then the missionaries have fasted and prayed to find such and they now have
three dates set. The three dates set
include one that has three kids, and the other has two kids. So each week little Joseph has a Primary. I
was humbled to see such faithful saints who met in such a small, one room
school house, praising God with such a spirit that you would have thought it
was General Conference. It was indeed amazing. It reminded me of the scripture
of “Where two or three are gathered in my name there will I also be with them.”
Also on the Island, mum you talked about this earlier, but Hitler was convinced
that if the allies were to attack France they would go through the islands and
so he took them over and he LOADED them up with pill boxes and trenches and
bunkers and he dug tunnels, etc. So the island is loaded with trenches, bunkers
and underground tunnels. Simmons and I went to the cliff’s edge, to one of the
hundreds of bunkers. We went inside, it
was by far the biggest bunker I have been in (much bigger then Hawaii). It had five floors, it was black as black and
went deep; deep into the ground. We have
a ten minute video of us exploring the whole bunker. It scared me to death. The
whole time I was waiting for some creepy man to jump out! Anyway so we have
tons of pics of that and at the cliffs, and the beaches, the trenches, and at
church. It was really good. However Simmons and I got lost up on the cliff side
in the bushy area and the forest area and it took us two hours of our p-day to
find out way back to the beach.
The Jersey Island is the touristy
island. You
can see France from there; it is only 8 or 9 miles away. We didn’t stay there
long, but we were able to work with the sisters there. One of them is from Ukraine
and the other from Samoa. It was really good. They are doing great and the ward
there loves them.
Well family love you tons!
Elder Michael White
